In September 2000, I had a pivotal experience. I’d just turned 12, and for my birthday, a good family friend gifted me a subscription to Car Magazine – ‘The motoring journal of Southern Africa’, as it was tagged at the time.

Being mad about anything with wheels and an engine – especially cars – I devoured every word and image on every page for the next decade and then some. Over time, I added to the collection with past issues going as far back as I could find and read those, too. My enthusiasm for reading each issue cover to cover only really abated once I’d had a few years of writing for a living. Funny how that works.

The pivotal bit? That subscription put me on a path to a career in magazines. By 15, I knew what I wanted to do with my life; I wanted to be editor of Car.

I didn’t realise that ambition. But I did become motoring editor of a newspaper and work my way up to editor of three individual magazines – two of which were truck magazines, one of them being the title you’re reading right now.

Even then, as I finished school and began my journalism studies, people questioned the decision to go into print. The internet was on the rise, rapidly.

But, Car is still going and only a couple of years away from its 70th anniversary, and despite being well settled in New Zealand, I maintain a subscription. I’m sentimental like that…

Likewise, New Zealand Trucking celebrates 40 years of publication this month, and it’s still going strong. It’s nothing short of an honour to be a part of the magazine at this point in its history, as No.7 in the editor’s hot seat, driving content.

Having paged through our archive of past issues to compile some of the historical content you’ll see beginning (by chance), it’s clear that it hasn’t changed a bit in some ways, while in others, it’s changed a lot. The foundations are still all there – great content, editorial integrity, a passionate team and dedicated writers. Of course, over four decades, it’s been necessary to keep up with the times … much of the content published then would never fly today, and much of today’s content wouldn’t have appeared in even the most creative pieces then.

That gift subscription created a genuine passion in me for magazine media. And in an increasingly digital world, I derive real joy in seeing a publication thrive, especially when so many others have been lost. Is it a tougher environment than 20, even 10 years ago? Unquestionably. And a far cry from the glory days of the 1980s and 1990s.

But they’re funny things, magazines. Despite all the moves to digital, with its instant access to any content you could want and the ability to consume it in moments, magazines are still the most highly regarded. They’re still the authoritative media. They’re tangible. Permanent.

There’s real value in that and we know people only part with their hard-earned cash for things they value. We never forget you could just as easily choose to get your trucking content for free elsewhere, which is why we’re driven to improve New Zealand Trucking magazine, year after year, decade after decade.

Thank you for being a part of our journey. I hope you’ll truck along with us for the next four decades and more.